Electric time-indicating device.



PATENTED APR. 7, 1908.

w. P. WBNTZ. ELEGTRIG TIME INDIGATING DEVICE.

h APPLICATION FILED DEC. 22' 1904.

40 different ordinal digits, ranging from zero to nine, inclusive, may be represented by lightmg groups of lam s therein respectively de- 50 mera-ls zero to nine, can be similarl repre- WILLIAM F. WEN'IZ, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC TIME-INDFCATING DEVICE.

\ Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 7, 1908.

Application filed December 22, 1904 Serial No. 237,906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that'I, WILLIAM F. WnN'rz, a

citizen of the United States, residing at the.

city of New York, in the borough of Man- 'hattan and Stateof New York, have inyented certain new and useful Iiii roveinents in Electric Time Indicating evic'es, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

' This invention is an electrically operated aparatusforindicating timebymeans of electric amps, and comprises a bank of electric lamps so connected in groups that when the lam s ofthe different groups are lighted, they will form the numerals corresponding to the dif ferent hours and minutes of time. nection with the bank of lamps, it is proposed using a selective switch determining ,the order in which the groups .of lamps shall be lighted, and a clock or other suitable time device controlling the operation of the se lective switch.

The construction in detail will bede scribed hereinafter with reference to the ac- COIXIPIiLIIYlIIg drawing, and the features of nove ty particularly pointed out in' the claims.

Figure 1 is a plan of the bank'of lamp used to display the hours and minutes of time; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the selective switch, and Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the switch with parts in section and also comprising the timing device and electric circuits.

The bank of lam s comprises four main groups, the first of w iicli, indicated by d, is a strai ht line of lamps-always re resenting the gum one, when lighted; tlie second group, indicated by 1), contains lamps formmg a sort of monogram so arran ed that ten lineating the out ines thereof. ,The third group, indicated by 0, contains lamps so arranged that the numerals zero to five, inclusive, may be indicated by lighting groups of lamps therein respectivel delineating those numerals, and the fourt group, indicated by (1, contains lamps by which the nu sented, the same as group b. etween' groups I; and c a single lamp 0 indicates a period or decimal point. :It will therefore be seen that with these four groups of lamps,- numerals indicating any hour and minute .of an hour. In con-.

'equally spaced apart am from twelve oclock to twelve oclock can be displayed. The lamps outlining each numeral are included in individual circuits and the various wires of these circuits, indicated conventionally by f and g, are preferably made up into cables and exteni ed to the switching apparatus shown-in Figs. 2 and 3. This apparatus comprises two 0 linders h and i," cylinder h is mounted on s iaft h together with a ratchet Wheel 7'. The ratchet wheel has sixty teeth corres onding to the sixty minutes of an hour, an the cylinder h has sixty longitudinal rows of pins or lugs 7c corresponding respectively with the minutes The cylinder i has twelve notches Z'around its peri li'ery at one end, dorrespondiii to the twelve hours of time; The ratchet w eel j carries a finger j adapted to engage one of the notches [and move the cylini er i the s ace of one of its notches at the completion of each rotation of cylinder h. Cylinder 2 also contains rows of pins or lugs similar to those'on cylinder h, but corresponding to the hours. Arranged above the cylinder h is a series of circuit closers which comprise spring tongues 0 corresponding in number to the number of wires or to the number of circuits leading from lam s in groups 0 and d, or the minute groups, 0 the bank of lamps. Each of these tongues is supported by and insulated from the frame 7) and carries a binding post, as shown, by which its corresponding Wire can be attached. The extremity of each tongue is bent downward to stand in the path of the pins in the surface of the cylinder h; the spring leads thence upward through a perforation in the topv plate p of the frame and stands free of, normally, but directly beneath, a plate q common to all the springs and being a return circuit for all the lamps in groups a and d. A similar arrangement is adopted inconnection with the cylinder i where the spring tongues are mounted to be actuated by the pins of cylinder 2', and

lifted into engagement with the common .wheel 9'. The stroke of the core at each movement is sufficient to rotate the ratchet wheel the space of one tooth.

V is a clock or other time keeping device containing a shaft 1) adapted to rotate once a minute and carrying a hand or contact w adapted to engage a fixed contact w at the completion of each minute. The hand and contact to and w, respectively form the terminals of a local circmt 5, 6, including a battery 7 and a relay 8. The armature of this relay is located in the circuit 3, 4, and holds said circuit open-as long as the relay is not energized. At the completion of each minute, the circuit 5, 6, is closed, the armature and relay is attracted and the circuit 3, 4, is closed.

The operation is as follows: Assume the actual time to be two minutes of ten, or 9.58; the lamps in circuit in group b will be showing the figure 9, in grou c the figure 5 will bevisible and in group the figure 8will be visible. At the completion of the current minute by the minute shaft 1), the terminals w and wwill connect for a moment, relay 8 will be energized, circuit 3, 4, will be closed and solenoid S will be energized. The core of the solenoid will be lifted, the ratchet wheel and solenoid h will be rotated the space of one notch and a new set of-pins or lugs R will pass under the row of tongues 0 and lift selected ones of them into contact with the plate q, thus closing the circuits of a different set of lamps in the d grou whilerepeating or continuing the circuit t irough the same lamps of the b and c grou s as were formerly lighted.

The change e acted in the d group causes the lamps therein to show the figure 9 instead of the figure 8. Thus the bank of lamps will then display the figures 9.59 for the period of another minute. At the next closure of the circuit by the minute'shaft 'v of'the clock and the corresponding additional movement of the cylinder h, cylinder 1', will be moved one notch by the engagement of the finger and a new set of pins or lugs will be passedunder the row of tongues 0 and also under the row of tongues 1'. The selected tongues will close such circuits that thefigures displayed in each of thegroups a, the lamps in oup a, which before were not lighted, wil now be lighted and zero will be shown in groups b, c and d. The period or decimal point remains lighted constantly. The time will therefore be indicated as ten oclock. At-the next change 10.01 will ap pear and at the next 10.02, and so on for each minute of the twelve hours. If the lamps are displayed outside and for only a portion of 'the evening, the combinations will be fewer, covering only a period of time from dusk to, say, midnight, but if the device is used in an apartment or room where it is dark, it can be used during the day and night and then will contain all of the combinations for the twelve hours.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. In a time indicating device, a frame having a late which is perforated, a drum horizontal y journaled beneath said plate, said drum having pins upon its periphery, springs fixed to the under side of said upper portion of the frame and lying) in the path of said pins, said springs being through saidperforations in the late, contacts on the-outer side of said p ate in the path of said springs whereby the terminals are exposed for the circuit connections, and means for intermittentl imparting a movement of rotation to sair drum.

2. In a time indicating device, a frame having a plate which .is perforated and having a. pair of drums journaled therebeneath, each of said drums havi pins upon its peripher and being journa ed to present its prerip eral surface at a uniform distance from the under side of said plate, springs fixed to said plate and in the path of said pins, said springs projecting through the said plate, and terminals on the outside of the plate and en aged by said springs.

11 witness whereof, I ture, in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM F. WENTZ.

Witnesses:

A. G. Kmoarn, T. (J. VWIIITEMAN.

b, c and d will be changed;

cut to project subscribe my signa- 

